Morning Mashup: A New Leaf(s)?

The CBA winds are a swirlin’. With the NHL publicly releasing its latest proposal (awesome!) Wednesday, there’s an intense mix of new information and analysis swirling in the twister of negotiation rhetoric. Getting too specific into an analysis of the main points would, frankly, be sort of a waste.

The NHL’s proposal is the first they’ve made that isn’t totally crazy, but that doesn’t mean it will get a deal done. Breaking down the specifics seems kinda pointless, considering many of those specifics will undoubtedly change. I’ll hold off getting to detailed for now.

Sufficed to say, if anything approaching some of the NHL’s latest offer is implemented as a new CBA. With a multitude of contracts coming off the books (only $39 million committed in salaries for 2013-2014), a self-imposed limit of five years on contracts, no major back-sliding examples that could accidentally be a colossal problem (happy we missed on Richards and haven’t acquired Luongo now, eh?), the Leafs‘ management may have spent the last few frustrating seasons affording themselves the greatest assets they could possibly have going forward under a new CBA.

Youth, and flexibility.

-Matt Mistele (http://www.twitter.com/TOTruculent)

Thursday morning links!

-Read the NHL’s full proposal on their official website. Remember when Fehr claimed he’d hold the negotiations live on television if it were possible? This isn’t quite calling that bluff, but it’s as close as we’ll get.

-Fehr apparently wasn’t enthused by the offer, and said as much in a letter to the players McKenzie has highlights from. Of course he’s not enthused. He’s not paid to be enthused. He’s paid because he’s the best, smartest, and one of the harshest negotiators available to guide the union through this. Hardline Fehr is about to come out, if the negotiations are really beginning. And he’s reeling under the first punch from not-disastrous NHL PR.

-For the Globe, Mirtle breaks down just how far apart the two sides are. Wow. Thorough, and with huge numbers. Kinda makes that whole “me and Starbucks are about $2.50 apart on the true value of a pumpkin spice latte” thing seem kinda insignificant.